Ben Sherwood Named to Succeed Anne Sweeney as Co-Chairman, Disney
Media Networks and President, Disney/ABC Television Group in February
2015

March 24, 2014 12:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) today announced that ABC News
President Ben Sherwood, who successfully steered ABC News to new heights
over the past several years, including driving "Good Morning America" to
#1, brokering a landmark partnership with Yahoo to create the #1 news
and information online network, and launching Fusion, a joint venture
news and lifestyle network with Univision, will assume the title of
co-chairman, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television
Group on February 1, 2015. Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks
and President, Disney/ABC Television Group will remain in that capacity
through January 2015.

Effective immediately, Mr. Sherwood will begin the transition as
Co-President, Disney/ABC Television Group. He will also continue to
oversee ABC News until a successor is named.

In making the announcement Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt
Disney Company, said, “Ben is one of those unique executives who combine
rich creative experience with great business acumen. He’s also focused,
strategic, and competitive, as evidenced by the success of GMA, the
Yahoo deal that delivered ABC News online dominance, and his vision
behind our new cable and digital joint venture, Fusion. These reasons,
and many others, make Ben the ideal candidate to oversee the future of
the Disney/ABC Television Group.”

Ms. Sweeney added, "It was Ben’s intense passion and incredible insight
that made us confident he’d do great things as President of ABC News.
Over the years, he has moved from success-to-success, and helped create
a more vibrant, collaborative and powerful News division that embraces
innovation and risk-taking. Ben’s now set to bring those same attributes
to bear for the larger Group, and I could not be more thrilled. This
announcement simply highlights the fact that our talent and succession
planning process works."

Mr. Sherwood stated, "I am honored and humbled that Bob has entrusted me
with this great responsibility and amazing opportunity. I'm also deeply
grateful to Anne, who has built and led a powerhouse division over the
last 10 years. I am looking forward to her counsel and wisdom during
this transition period. I must also thank the remarkable people of ABC
News who inspire me every day with their creativity, dedication and
spirit. I will keep their commitment to excellence and their fierce
competitiveness firmly in mind as I move forward to meet this exciting
new challenge."

Award-winning journalist, best-selling author and digital media
entrepreneur Ben Sherwood was named president of ABC News in December
2010. He is responsible for all aspects of ABC News' broadcasts,
including "World News with Diane Sawyer," "Nightline," "Good Morning
America," "20/20" and "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." In
addition, Mr. Sherwood oversees ABC News Radio, ABCNEWS.com, satellite
service NewsOne and ABC News NOW. ABC News reaches a combined audience
of well over 270 million people a month on television, on radio and
online, and is enjoying significant audience growth, driven by a
creative renaissance and innovative deal-making.

In October 2011, ABC News launched a ground-breaking partnership with
Yahoo! to create the #1 news and information network online, reaching
nearly 100 million people and serving up to half a billion videos a
month. The online network has been on top for the past 25 months and
counting.

ABC News reached an historic milestone in 2012 when "Good Morning
America" snapped NBC's 16-year winning streak in the mornings to become
America's #1 morning program, a title the show still holds today.

In 2013, ABC News and Univision launched Fusion, a joint news and
lifestyle network to serve and empower U.S. Hispanics, the youngest and
fastest growing demographic in America.

In addition, during Mr. Sherwood's tenure, the news division has won the
most prestigious honors in the industry, including George Polk, George
Foster Peabody, News and Documentary Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, Overseas
Press Club, SPJ Sigma Delta Chi and Investigative Reporters and Editors
Awards.

Mr. Sherwood launched his journalistic career when he joined ABC News in
1989, serving as an investigative associate producer and producer for
ABC News' "PrimeTime Live" with anchors Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson.
In 1997, Mr. Sherwood joined NBC's "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" as
broadcast producer responsible for "In Depth" reports, then senior
producer, and ultimately senior broadcast producer.

Mr. Sherwood returned to ABC News in April 2004 as executive producer of
the network's award-winning morning program, "Good Morning America." Mr.
Sherwood guided "GMA" to ratings success, attracting new viewers while
overseeing prize-winning coverage of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the
devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the presidential election of 2004.

The author of two critically acclaimed best-selling novels: "The Man Who
Ate the 747" (2000) and "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud"
(2004), Mr. Sherwood’s fiction has been published around the world in
more than 15 languages. In addition, Mr. Sherwood's journalism and
non-fiction essays have been published in many respected publications,
including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington
Post, Newsweek, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Parade and O magazine.
In July 2010, "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud" was adapted as a
feature film starring Zac Efron and released by Universal Pictures under
the title "Charlie St. Cloud."

Mr. Sherwood's latest bestseller, "The Survivors Club," is a non-fiction
exploration of the science and secrets of who bounces back from everyday
adversity and who doesn't; who beats life-threatening disease and who
succumbs; and who triumphs after economic hardship and who surrenders.
The book became an instant New York Times bestseller, featured widely in
print and on television, and has been published around the world.

In January 2009, Mr. Sherwood founded TheSurvivorsClub.org, an online
resource center and support network for people surviving and thriving in
the face of all kinds of adversity. In September 2010, The Survivors
Club relaunched in partnership with Hearst Digital Media, significantly
expanding its reach and offerings.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College in 1986, Mr. Sherwood
earned an AB degree in American government and history. From 1986 to
1989, as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, he earned
master's degrees in British imperial history and development economics.

Mr. Sherwood is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York
and serves on the boards of the National Constitution Center and the
National Association of Urban Debate Leagues. He serves on the advisory
board of the Center for Public Integrity, and is actively involved in
City Year, the education-focused service organization.